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Spy is the eighth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on June 30, 1979.

Spy
Studio album by Carly Simon
Released	June 30, 1979
Recorded	Dec. 1978 – April 1979 at Atlantic Studios, New York City.
Genre	Rock • pop • disco
Length	40:37
Label	Elektra
Producer	Arif Mardin
Carly Simon chronology
Boys in the Trees (1978) Spy (1979) Come Upstairs (1980)

The title of the album is a tribute to Anaïs Nin, whose quote "I am an international spy in the house of love", is written across the top on the inside jacket. Simon dedicated the album to producer Arif Mardin, in which she wrote in the liner notes, "Dedicated to Arif who is himself fantastic." It is also Simon's last album for Elektra Records, she signed with Warner Bros. Records and released Come Upstairs the following year.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	link
Christgau's Record Guide	B−[1]

Debra Rae Cohen, writing in Rolling Stone, stated "Here, Simon’s rough, bold voice — powerful and affecting as ever — seizes center stage with husky promise and, like a dormitory storyteller after lights out, threatens revelations. But even discounting the mediating layers of studio polish, she winds up sounding strangely distanced from her material." She also singled out the track "We're So Close", calling it "the record’s gem".[2]

Although Spy did not yield any major hit singles, "Vengeance" (which features actor Tim Curry on backing vocals) earned Simon a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female in early 1980, the first year to feature this new category.[3] Cash Box said that it has "an urban rock feeling, with ominous guitar chording and touches of syndrums," saying that "Simon's vocals are...sharp and bold" but "less restrained than usual."[4] The song peaked at No. 48 on the Billboard Pop singles chart, and Simon later included it on her Anthology set in 2002. Simon made a music video for the song,[5] and MTV later used a clip from it in a commercial that enticed viewers to get stereo sound on their TV sets.[6] The promotional clip was also chosen by Pioneer Electronics to be part of their first demo disc for its then-new Laserdisc player.

The title song was released as the second single from the album, and it reached No. 34 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. The album also features the songs "Never Been Gone" and "We're So Close", which have become fan favorites and stand among Simon's personal favorites of her own songs.[7] In 2009, Simon released Never Been Gone; an album which includes a newly recorded version of the song, along with some of her other greatest hits.[8]

Awards

Grammy Awards
Year	Work	Award	Recipient	Result	Ref
1980	"Vengeance"	Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female	Carly Simon	Nominated	[9]

Track listing

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[10]

Personnel

Musicians

Production

Charts

Album – Billboard (United States)[11]

Year	Chart	Position
1979	Billboard 200	45

Album – International

Year	Country	Position
1979	Australia[12]	33
	Canada[13]	56

Singles – Billboard (United States)[14]

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1979	"Vengeance"	Hot 100	48
	"Spy"	Adult Contemporary	34

References

External links

• Carly Simon's Official Website

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